Can opener



Oct. 6, 1942. J. A. FLUELLEN (CAN OPENER Filed Nov. 7, 1941 Patented Oct. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PAT ENT PF ICE GAN OPENER;

John A. Fl'uellen, Plymouth, W. Va.

Application November 7, 1941, SeriaIN'o. 418,259;

10 Claims.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a can opener which is extremely" simple and cheap of construction yet highly eificient in operation.

A further object of the invention isthe provision of acan opener having a detachable cutting blade.

Other specific objects and novel features of construction of the invention will' appear from the following description when read in the light crum of the opener and is in the form of a short tube which is preferably, although not necessarily, composed of metal.

Adjacent one end this tube is provided with an opening through which extends one end of a steel rod or bar B. The rod end within the tube is reduced in size as at l and is bent to prevent the rod from pulling outwardly through the tube opening. The rod B has a portion 2 extending rearwardly from the tube for a considerable distance and the rod is then bent as indicated at 3 and has a portion 4 running to the tube and extending around the same in a coil designated at C and a free end D extending beyond the front of the tube, which free end terminates in a cutting blade 5. The blade 5 extends outwardly from the front edge 6 of the tube at an angle, as clearly appears in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

That end I of the tube about which the rod is coiled is provided with a plurality of cut-out portions or kerfs 8 and then the end of the tube between the kerfs is expanded so as to prevent possibility of the coil of the bar 5 moving endwise from the tube A.

In its bottom the tube A is provided with a groove 9 which is intended to receive the beaded circumferential edge of a can. This groove extends at an angle across the tube with the result that when the opener is applied to a can, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the parts assume the positions there illustrated with; the blade 5 cutting the can end adjacent. the inner edge. of' the can bead as the opener is rocked upwardly and downwardlywith the tube A as the pivotal point. The bead of the can is illustrated at litl'in dotted lines in- Fig; 1.

In the use of any opener the blade eventually becomes dulled and in the present opener this would: be no exception. It is of course possible tosharpen the blade, but to the end of providing a new blade should it be more desirable. to do so than sharpening the blade of the opener or should it be necessary to: do so because of injury to the blade of the opener, I have illustrated in, Fig. 5 a modified form'- of the invention whereinv a separate blade I! is suitably removably attached to the free end D of the rod B.

When the opener is applied to the can top it. will be understood that the blade is first made, to cause a puncture in the can and' the can rim is then positioned within the groove 9 and the cutting of the can is accomplished by a lifting or lowering movement of the opener handle; The opener will operate upon cans of any shape or size and when it is desired to out in a straightline rather than a circle the groove 9V is not used. 1? have found in operation that the blade cuts cleanly and the can is opened without: creating any dangerous jagged edges.

The open loop end 3 .of the opener provides a convenient means by which the opener can be hung upon a hook or the like.

The detachable blade construction illustrated in Fig. 5 is also desirable when the handle, that is the rod B, is not made of a metal suitable to serve as a cutting blade but is composed of some cheap material to which a metal which is capable of providing a hardened sharp cutting edge is attached.

Should it be found desirable the end portion I of the handle portion 2 could be threaded and the opening in the fulcrum or tube A could be threaded to receive it thus providing a very secure connection.

Should it be found desirable the opener could be formed prior to attaching it to the tubular fulcrum A.

Obviously the opener can be operated either with the left or right hand by an operator.

The invention is to be limited only within the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising, a fulcrum, a onepiece metallic handle and blade, said handle and blade comprising a metallic rod one end of which is attached to the top of said fulcrum and extends outwardly therefrom and is bent in a loop and returns to said fulcrum and is coiled about the same with its free end passing over the top of said fulcrum and extending beyond the same, and the top edge of the extending portion of said rod being sharpened to provide a cutting blade.

2. A can opener comprising, a fulcrum having a groove in its bottom adapted to receive the beaded edge of a can, a one-piece metallic handle and blade, said handle and blade comprising a metallic rod one end of which is attached to the top of said fulcrum and extends outwardly therefrom and is bent in a loop and returns to said fulcrum and is coiled about the same with its free end passing over the top of said fulcrum and extending beyond the same, and the top edge of the extending portion of said rod being sharpened to provide a cutting blade.

3. A can opener comprising, a fulcrum, a onepiece metallic handle and blade, said handle and blade comprising a metallic rod one end of which is attached to the top of said fulcrum and extends outwardly therefrom and is bent in a loop and returns to said fulcrum and is coiled about the same with its free end passing over the top of said fulcrum adjacent the attached end of the rod and extending outwardly beyond said fulcrum, and the top edge of the extending portion of said rod being sharpened to provide a cutting blade.

4. A can opener comprising, a tubular fulcrum, a one-piece metallic handle and blade, said handles comprising a pair of legs, one leg extending through the top of said fulcrum and into the same and being secured against displacement, said leg extending rearwardly from said fulcrum and terminating in a loop joining it to the said second leg, said second leg extending forwardly and passing over and around said fulcrum and having an end extending forwardly beyond said fulcrum, and said forwardly extending portion being sharpened to provide a cutting blade,

5. A construction such as defined in claim 4 wherein, the under side of said tubular fulcrum is provided with a groove adapted to receive the beaded edge of a can.

6. A construction such as defined in claim 4 wherein, one end of said tubular fulcrum is flared outwardly to lock the coiled portion of the second handle leg against the first named handle leg to prevent movement of said coil longitudinally of said fulcrum.

7. A can opener comprising, a fulcrum, a onepiece handle comprising a pair of legs, one of said handle legs secured to said fulcrum and extending rearwardly therefrom and terminating in a loop joining it to said second handle leg, said second handle leg extending forwardly to and over and around said fulcrum and having a free end extending forwardly beyond said fulcrum, and a cutting blade attached to the forwardly extending end of said second leg.

8. A can opener comprising, a member adapted to rest upon the upper edge of a can and act as a fulcrum, a one-piece handle of rod-like formation, one end of said handle being attached to the fulcrum member and extending outwardly therefrom and being bent to return the free end of said handle to said fulcrum, the free end of said handle being secured to said fulcrum by being coiled thereabout, a cutting blade movable with the fulcrum and extending over the top of a can when the fulcrum is positioned on the can edge for oscillatory movement through manipulation of said handle, and the upper edge of said blade being sharpened to cause cutting of said can as said fulcrum is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction.

9. A construction such as defined in claim 8 wherein, the free coiled end of said handle extends outwardly from said fulcrum member and is formed to constitute the cutting blade.

10. A can opener comprising, a fulcrum adapted to rest upon the upper edge of a can, a handle attached to said fulcrum for imparting oscillatory movement thereto, a cutting blade connected to said fulcrum for movement therewith, said blade extending outwardly from said fulcrum and over the top of a can when the opener is positioned for operation, and the cutting blade having its upper edge sharpened to out said can top when said fulcrum is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction.

JOHN A. FLUELLEN. 

